


Elephants Memory

by elephreak



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Bullying, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 11:24:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15840279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elephreak/pseuds/elephreak
Summary: Peter and Ned are the targets of a horrible bullying act. Tony finds them and deals with the people responsible.





	Elephants Memory

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt on my tumblr - ironwebbs.tumblr
> 
> Based on Elephants Memory- an episode of Criminal Minds and a lil inspiration from the movie Carrie.

Tony taps his fingers on the steering wheel of the car impatiently. His neck was already aching from the amount of times he had peered forward and backwards, scanning the crowd of teenagers for his.

 

It was lab day. Tony refused to admit it was his favourite day of the week, even though he wasn’t fooling anyone anymore, but he knew it was Peters. Which is what made it even more confusing that the kid hadn’t already bounded out of the front doors and barrelled into the car in his usual over excited way.

 

Frowning, Tony glanced at his watch for the upteenth time. School had let out almost 45 minutes ago, and the last message Tony had got from Peter was a quick _“just need to do something and I’ll meet you in the lot_.”

 

Giving up, and already drafting his lecture regarding tardiness and making people wait, Tony begun to ring Peters phone.

 

Straight to voice mail.

 

He was seconds away from leaving a colourful message, when he saw the doors of the school slam open.

 

Disconnecting the line, he watched passively as the group of boys ran down the stairs, laughing loudly and shoving at each other. _Animals._ Tony scoffed.

 

“Did you see his face when he started crying” one of the boys howled with laughter, the rest of the group doubled over, some making mocking crying noises and feigned pleads.

 

“Don’t look! Leave us alone” another boy yelled in a high pitched whine, followed by a barrel of laughter.

 

The voices carried down the path until Tony couldn’t see the gang anymore. His heart hammered in his chest, a sick feeling of _wrong_ settled over him.

 

_Peter._

Slamming the car door open with more more force than was necessary, Tony all but fell out of the vehicle. His feet couldn’t possibly move any faster, cold sweat already creeping down his neck and over his face.

 

Sliding down the corridors of the hauntingly empty school halls, Tony looked around wildly, looking for any sign of the kid, of Peter.

 

After no luck in the hallways, he pushed out to the back of the school, towards the field.

 

His heart stops when he see’s him.

 

When he sees _them._

They are thrust together, chest to chest, tightly bound by thick rope.

 

Suspended 10 feet in the air off the football goal.

 

Naked.

 

He stomach lurches into his throat, and it tastes like hot acid.

 

He freezes. He can’t move from where he’s stood, watching Peter and Ned wriggle and console each other, dangling in the air on display.

 

Tony launches into action almost as quickly as he had stopped. He sprints the length of the field, heart racing loudly in his chest, loud enough for Peter to probably hear.

 

When Peter looks down, his face floods with relief, and then shudders into horrible humiliation.

 

Tony ignored the latter. “Pete, it’s okay, I’m gonna get you down okay?” He calls up, ignoring how his voice shook.

 

Someone had stripped his kid and strung him up like a piece of meat.

 

Someone was going to die for this.

 

His hands tremble as he pulls at the knot suspending the rope from the base of the goal. He gets a solid grip on it before yelling up “I’m lowering you! Hold on”

 

He gets no response, but he doesn’t really expect one either.

 

The rope burns horribly on his palms as he lowers the _children_ slowly to the floor, arms straining angrily against the weight.

 

He hears the pad of feet hitting grass and the barely concealed breath of relief from both kids. He sprints back to the duo, making quick silent work of ripping open the rope digging into their bare backs and trussing them together.

 

He feels sick to his stomach.

 

This wasn’t an act of bullying, this was a senseless act of humiliation and hurt.

 

The boys fall apart, quick to try hide their nudity. Tony takes his first look at Peters face.

 

He looks wrecked.

 

Under his eyes are swollen red from tears, cheeks flushed and clammy. There’s a bruise already forming around his eye socket and another one at the bottom of his jaw, his lip and brow split and bleeding sluggishly.

 

But his eyes, they are broken, horribly humiliated and distressed.

 

Tony wants to bundle him up and hide him away forever.

 

“I’ll fucking kill them. Give me their names right now, I swear they will be dead before they make it home” he seethes. Ned looks at Peter desperately, the boy is shaking, his face is marred with bruising and blood, red angry lines circle his torso from the rope burn.

 

Tony’s never wanted blood more than he has in this moment.

 

“Please, Mr Stark, please just get us home” Peter says softly, voice wobbly and defeated.

 

Tony wants to argue, wants his revenge right now.

 

But there’s two kids shivering and naked in front of him. Two kids that have been attacked and abused and humiliated.

 

That’s his priority.

 

Shucking off his jacket he quickly tosses it to Ned, allowing the boy to hide his body. He pulls off his hoodie next, wrapping it around Peters slim waist. Peter flinches and holds on to the material. His eyes are blank now, distant.

 

“Where are your clothes?” Tony asks gently now, as if talking to a wounded animal. “They took them” he gets in response, almost inaudible.

 

“Okay. There’s got to be clothes in the school, do you both have gym gear?”

He gets quiet nods.

 

Two of the most lively and energetic teenagers he’s ever encountered in his life, broken into silence.

 

He bites his tongue to stop himself from screaming.

 

 

They move into the halls, Tony walking ahead to afford the teenagers some modesty. The boys disappear into the locker rooms and emerge dressed in gym shorts and shirts. Their eyes are suspiciously more wet and red, as if they shared a moment behind the safety of the bathroom door.

 

Only they could understand the trauma they had just endured.

 

Tony felt out of place, inadequate.

 

He walked the pair to his awaiting car, watching as they climbed slowly and silently into the back seat. Tony dutifully buckled himself up in the front seat, adjusting his mirror to see the friends both looking out their windows, both hiding the slide of tears cascading their cheeks. Suffering alone and in silence.

 

Tony feels murderous and devastated all at once and it consumes him.

 

Ned climbs out at his stop thanking Tony gratefully and quietly, he pauses before closing the door, “it wasn’t your fault Peter. Please don’t blame yourself” he says gently, jaw set steely, eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Tony watches Peter drop his head in shame, eyes locked to the floor of the car.

 

 

They pull into the tower garage. Tony ignores the tremble in Peters shoulders.

 

He knows this embarrassment. He knows the shame of having people need to rescue you, see you at your worst. He tries to offer Peter that dignity, lets the boy walk ahead, hands gripped into fists, a brave determination to get to the lab.

 

Tony follows behind, feeling utterly useless.

 

They enter the lab, the sanctuary. Peter presses his hands to the cold steel of the counter, eyes shut and lip caught in his teeth.

 

“Kid, we can work later. What do you need” Tony says gently, as non pitying as he can manage.

 

Peter looks at him helplessly, some of the hard determination already cracking. He looks lost. Afraid. Devastated.

 

Tony moves quickly. He catches the boy before he falls, wrapping his arms tightly around the now sobbing hysterically teenager.

 

He squeezes tight, the pressure he knows Peter likes. Peters legs are boneless, unable to hold his weight. So they slide to the floor, Tony’s back pressed against the cold wall, Peter curled on top of him, sobbing loudly into his neck, hands gripping Tony’s tee.

 

“Let it out, let it all out. It’s okay. You’re okay” Tony gentles. He brings his hand up, running it through the shaking child’s hair, soothing and rubbing to calm down the heartwrenching sobs.

 

Tony feels his own eyes prickle, a heavy dread weighing on his whole being.

 

His kid was hurt.

 

“They told Ned Betty was waiting for him on the field, that she wanted to talk to him” he hears Peter admit with a hiccup into his shoulder, the tears still falling at a steady rate.

 

The classic _hot girl is waiting for you_ ploy. He had heard that one too many times.

 

“We didn’t believe it, Ned knew something didn’t feel right. But he wanted to see anyway. We went together” he sniffles loudly, breath shuddering and heaving.

 

Of course Peter was too smart to fall for it. Of course he would act as Neds army. This kid.

 

“There was so many of them, they were all bigger, stronger than us. The football team”

 

Tony knew. He saw them outside. Saw them laughing and revelling in their sick act. He wished he had killed them then.

 

“They pushed us around. Usually I can take the beatings, you know... but Ned was there, and he couldn’t take it” his cries pick up again, Tony thinks he won’t ever be able to get the sound of of his head.

 

“It’s okay, shhh, you’re safe” Tony whispers, carding his hands through the thick mattered locks.

 

Peter relaxed slightly, his voice still muffled into Tony’s neck.

 

“I had to try protect him, I fought back ... I never fight back , but he was getting hurt and I - I thought - I couldn’t-“ he sobs.

 

“And then they started calling us names, started insinuating _things_ , it was my fault that they got more mad. They took our clothes, they tied us up... they just stood there and laughed and took pictures and ... Mr Stark, I was so humiliated” he breaks on the last word, his story told, his tears persistent.

 

Tony’s own tears rolled down his cheeks, his stomach clenched in sadness, distress.

 

How could he help? What could ever fix this?

 

“It’s not your fault Pete, you tried to save Ned, that’s all that matters” he reassures wetly, pulling Peters limp body closer to his, ignoring the ache in his legs.

 

Peter just cried, and Tony let him. What else could he do?

 

. .

 

Tony scans the group of teenagers in front of him. Lined up, and all slightly pale.

 

It had taken some persuasion, but eventually Peter had caved, giving the names of the 8 boys involved. It hadn’t taken much to convince (with a promise of generous funding and to not print the story of violent bullying to blacken the schools name) the principle to let him manage the discipline. To deliver the punishment.

 

He was going to enjoy this.

 

“Here’s how this is going to go. You’re all going to run the length of this field, goal to goal. You stop running? You’re expelled. You stop, you admit your guilt. Got it?” He smiles wolfishly.

 

They were all expelled anyway. They just didn’t know it yet.

 

“And because I know you boys like to stick together, this is done as a team. You fall behind - expelled. Say goodbye to the scholarships, to any college wanting you” He mocks with a snarl.

 

The boys whiten further, some look like they want to protest, argue their doomed fate.

 

At least they are all smart enough not to fight Iron Man.

 

So they run.

 

And they drop like flies. One by one.

 

Some of them cry, beg for forgiveness. Others curse and promise lawyers and media involvement.

 

One boy runs through it.

 

The one that stripped their clothes and took them home.

 

Tony almost wants to stay and watch until the teens legs cramp and he falls to his doom. But he’s also got his own teenager waiting for him.

 

He activated the wrist gauntlet, admiring it for a moment before rising it with a blank impassive face. He fires it right where the boys foot would have landed, if the small blast hadn’t knocked him off his feet and face first into the muddy ground.

 

Tony stalks over to the withering teen, anger and vengeance in every step. He grabs the boys collar, dragging him to the rest of the panting miserable boys.

 

“You think you’ve learnt a lesson here today?”

 

They groan and curse, heads down and ashamed.

 

“I said.” He punctuates more venomously. “Have you learnt your lesson? Or should I tie you up and leave you overnight hanging from the goal posts”

 

The boys are quick to respond with _yes sirs_ this time.

 

“You are all so goddamn lucky you aren’t in jail right now. You’re sick and twisted and you’re not worth the dirt on my shoes. Prison would be too good for you. Instead, enjoy a life of failed opportunities and disappointment. All because of a bit of _good fun_ was it?” He smiles, baring all his teeth with the threat.

 

The boys are silent, but they understand.

 

“I hope you remember this day. I hope you go into your sad sorry lives knowing that your behaviour and your disgusting, vile actions led you here. Those boys won’t be able to forget what you put them through. Now you won’t be able to forget what I’ll put you through if you ever so think to cross me or those kids again. Do you hear me?” More quiet yessirs. Pleased Tony nods his head. Turning on his heel and begins to exit the godforsaken field, hopefully, for the last time. He pauses for a moment, turning to face the sullen seniors.

 

“Those two boys are worth 20 of each of you. I can’t wait to see them succeed and know you will watching from your shitty apartments in your shitty lives.”

 

He walks away with that. Leaving the teenagers to wallow in their losses. To mourn their futures.

 

 

Peter’s waiting for him by the car when he returns.

 

“You think pretending to shoot at him was a bit over the top?” Peter smirks, opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat.

 

Tony smiles back, a feigned frown on his brow “I wasn’t pretending, I just missed”

 

Peter looks at him with a horrified amusement, obviously unsure as to whether or not Tony was lying.

 

Tony knows though. If anyone were to hurt his kid again... he wouldn’t miss.

 

 


End file.
